Project Integration Management

The processes and activities needed to identify, define, combine, unify, and coordinate process and project management activities within the Project Management Group are included in the Project Integration Management Knowledge Area. Characteristics of unification, consolidation, articulation and integrative actions crucial to project completion fall within the context of integration. Decisions related to choices such as, concentration of resources, coordination of work efforts, and anticipating potential problems are addressed under integration. Other considerations including the balancing of competing objectives and the exploration of alternative actions are also within the domain of integration. Real world applications involving coordinated efforts of Project Integration Management components are seldom clearly defined by boundaries. A certain amount of overlap is to be expected. The interaction of these individual processes requires effective integration in Project Management. There is no single way to manage a project. Experienced Project Management practitioners apply their knowledge, skills, and processes uniquely to each situation, depending on its circumstances, variables, and objectives. The mere fact that a particular process or technique was not utilized in a project does not mean that it was not considered. On the contrary, Project Integration Management and Team Management are charged with assessing the applicability of all processes and the level of implementation of those deemed appropriate to the success of the project when formulating the overall Project Integration Management Plan.